Phantom in a Box
by AngelOfLorien
Summary: PART 1 of SERIES: When Caleb's essence is separated from his body, it's up to a girl named Sam convince the others that she can see him. Full summary at top of Chapter One -postmovie, no Sara-
1. Pain in the Astral Projection

_- Someone is trying to dissolve the Sons of Ipswich. When Caleb's essence is separated from his body, it is up to a girl named Sam to convince the remaining Sons that she can see and hear him. Together, they have to find and destroy whoever is responsible, before it is too late for them all. -_

**This is my first Covenant fic. I think everyone is pretty close to being in character. I hope this is something fresh. Let me know what you think!**

_-_

_-_

Caleb walked across the parking lot, skimming one foot over the wet pavement and sending water drops flying from the soles of his Converse. He hefted his bookbag back in place and raised his eyes to the moon that hung heavily over the trees. It was unseasonably warm for March in Massachusetts, and Caleb dabbed at his forehead with his sleeve, huffing out a breath against the humidity.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned, raising a hand to shield his eyes against the harsh orange light of the street lamp. He squinted his eyes against the darkness and saw a figure standing on the edge of the light.

"Hello?"

The figure remained motionless and Caleb was suddenly nervous. He turned back to his car and unlocked it, glancing back over his shoulder uneasily. He got in his car and sat down, inhaling slowly and flicking his gaze over to where the figure still stood, watching him.

He moved to start his car, frowning at the small bunch of dried flowers that was stuck beneath his windshield wiper. He got out of the car and picked up the flowers, turning to the shadow that lurked beyond the light.

"What's this?" he asked, holding up the flowers. He heard a voice, faint on the wind, but he was sure the person was saying something. He started forward, taking one step before his knees buckled and he fell unconscious.

Caleb woke a short while later with rain splattering on his face. He sat up and shook his head, trying to clear it. He ran a hand over his face and stood, struggling against a wave of dizziness. His t-shirt clung to him like a second skin, and his jeans were sagging on his hips. He was cold and felt…odd. He braced his hands on his knees and concentrated on his breathing, letting the cool rain pelt the back of his neck.

He looked to the left and straightened. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he croaked. His mustang—his pride and joy—was gone, along with his bookbag and whatever else had been in his car. He bit out a curse and ran unsteadily through the rain, heading for the dorms.

There were still a lot of people milling about for it to be so late, but Caleb didn't question it. He spotted Pogue, Reid, and Tyler at the edge of the crowd, leaning against the steps.

Caleb was still several feet away when he shouted over to them. "Somebody stole my friggin' car! Right out of the parking—Hey," he called when no one even turned in his direction.

He closed the distance between them and crossed his arms, listening.

"Look, I'm going to the hospital," Tyler was saying. "You guys can do whatever you want."

"What's up?" Caleb asked, wondering why Tyler had to go to the hospital.

Reid hopped onto the concrete banister as Tyler made his way to the SUV in the lot across the street.

"Ok, seriously, what's going on," Caleb asked slowly.

"This is fucked, Pogue," Reid said, ignoring Caleb completely.

Pogue nodded, clenching his jaw. "Come on, we'd better catch Tyler if we're gonna ride with him."

Pogue and Reid started across the street and Caleb rushed after them.

"Pogue," Caleb called. "Pogue!" he said more forcefully, reaching out to grab the other boy's arm. His hand passed through without resistance.

Pogue shivered and turned, glancing back toward the now empty street.

"You ok?" Tyler asked, staring at Pogue as Reid climbed in the passenger seat.

"Yeah," Pogue said absently. There was nothing out of place in their surroundings, so he shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

Caleb, still speechless, watched the other boys ride off as a feeling of dread began to build and rest heavy in his stomach. He stared at the hand that he had used to try to grab Pogue.

"What…the…" he let the expletive trail off, raising his eyes once again to the fading taillights.

-

-

**Pain in the Astral Projection**

_2 Weeks Later_

"Have a nice day, Samantha."

"Thanks Mr. Linderman. You too," Sam called, waving to the older gentleman behind the counter.

Sam whipped out her sunglasses and put them on, shading her eyes against the afternoon light. She'd been in town for a few months, attending her senior year at the local public school.

The change from a New Orleans public to a sleepy New England public was a serious culture shock, but Sam thought she had adjusted very well. She missed her friends, but some of the black-clad Pagans from Salem reminded her of a portion of her old classmates. For Sam herself, she preferred a less noticeable appearance, which is why she opted for loose jeans and band t-shirts most of the time.

Sam stepped out of the little corner store and popped the trunk of her Jetta with her remote. She narrowed her eyes on the guy lying across her hood, resting his back against her windshield.

"Hey, can I help you?" she asked.

Caleb was waiting for his mother to come out of the pharmacy when he saw the girl come out of the store, but he didn't pay her any attention. It wasn't like it would make a difference if he did. So he didn't look over, he just resumed his sitting and waiting.

"Hel-lo? Are you rude and hard of hearing?"

Caleb did look over then, hoping to see a fight or a scene of some kind to break up the monotony of being invisible. What he didn't expect to see was the girl looking directly at him with a peeved expression on her face.

He sat up slowly, bringing his legs over the side of the hood and leaning forward, peering into her face. He glanced behind him, making sure there wasn't anyone standing nearby that she could be talking to.

"Are you talking to me?"

She leaned in, mimicking him, and lowered the volume of her voice to match his. "Yeah," she whispered, nodding. "Get off my car."

Caleb's face split into a wide and sincere smile, and he clapped his hands together.

Sam jumped at the young man's sudden excitement, arching a brow and readjusting her grocery bag. "Ok, yay. I'm glad you're excited. Get your ass off my car now." She moved to the trunk and put the groceries in it while he hopped off her hood.

He chattered happily, something about being quiet for two weeks or something, reaching out for her as he went around a parking meter—

No, not around a parking meter. _Through _a parking meter.

"Well, _dammit,"_" Sam groaned. She held up her hand, stopping his happy advances, before dropping it to her side and looking around for any onlookers.

"Look, I didn't know that you didn't have a body when I told you to get off my car," Sam said. She went around and opened her door, sliding behind the wheel.

"You're the only person that can see or hear me. I need your help," Caleb said, standing beside her car.

"I'm sorry, babe. I can't help you with whatever unfinished business you have so that you can cross over."

"But I'm not dead," Caleb said. "I've been…I dunno—cursed or hexed or something."

"I'm sorry," Sam said, shutting her door and driving off.

-

Later that night, Sam lay in bed snuggled deeply into her blankets. She turned over to get more comfortable, opening her eyes to flick a glance at the clock. She screamed, shocked to find a pair of dark eyes staring back at her.

"Sshh…calm down. It's ok," Caleb said, backing up and raising his hands.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Sam hissed, closing her eyes and trying to get her heart rate to slow down. "What the hell are you doing here? How'd you find me?"

"Sammy Jane, you ok?" Sam's mom asked sleepily as she opened the door.

"Yeah. Nightmare. It's fine," Sam said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, mom. I'm ok."

"Ok, honey. G'night."

"Night, mom." She waited for the sound of her mother's door to shut before she pinned Caleb with a hot glare. "How did you find me?" she repeated.

"You have a school sticker on your car. I went to the school, checked a yearbook, no you. So I checked the files for the new students and low-and-behold, there you were. Ms. Samantha Jane McGovern, transferred in from The Big Easy."

"That must have taken you hours," Sam said, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, well. I don't really have a very active schedule right now." Caleb said.

Sam lay back down and rolled over, throwing her cover over her head. "Well I do, so I'm sorry you went through all the trouble for nothing."

"I'm not dead," Caleb told her. "I'm in a coma."

"That must suck, but what am I supposed to do about it?" Sam mumbled from beneath her blanket.

"I don't know. Help me somehow? You can go talk to my friends," Caleb said.

Sam grunted, obviously finished with the conversation.

"I can stay here and annoy you forever, lady. Either you can agree to help me now, or you can agree to help me later, when your sanity is hanging by a thread."

Sam was silent, so Caleb stretched out beside her on the bed and propped his hands behind his head. He smiled when she stiffened, then thought of the most effective way to drive someone crazy.

Two hours later, after enduring Caleb's a'cappella renditions of mullet rock and annoying songs, including _Renegade_ by Styx, the theme from Fraggle Rock, and _Where It's At_ by Beck, Sam was nearly at her wit's end.

"Uh oh, here we go, turn up the radio! C'mon everybody, to the Nth degreeeee!"

"Alright! For God's sake, just shut up!" Sam hissed, tossing her blankets aside. She blew a lock of light brown hair out of her eyes and sighed. "Real original idea. Is _Ghost _like your favorite movie or something?" she demanded, waving her hands.

Caleb shrugged. "My mom used to watch it all the time when I was a kid."

Sam was silent for a long moment before she sighed again, dropping her hands to the mattress. "Ok, fine. If I agree to talk to your friend, will you please just let me go to sleep?"

"Cross my heart and hope to…" Caleb stopped, laughing nervously.

"Don't go there," Sam said, rolling over.

"I don't plan on it," Caleb said, standing and falling across the loveseat on the opposite wall.

-

Caleb checked the clock on the bank across the street. Sam was supposed to meet him in this alley at 6:30 and it was now 7:13. He had found her after school, and after answering her questions—including whether or not the Sons of Ipswich were really made up of witches like the local gossips claimed—she had agreed to meet him down from Nicky's. He had told her the truth about all of them, and he prayed he hadn't made a mistake in doing so. He raked a hand through his hair with a curse as he looked at the clock again.

"Nice language," Sam said, stepping into the dank alleyway. "Think I dumped you, Sir Nicholas?"

Caleb stared at her confusedly, blinking slowly.

"Oh, come on," Sam said, running a hand through her short hair. "Sir Nicholas. Nearly-Headless Nick? One of the ghosts in _Harry Potter_, hello?"

"Yeah, I'm not a big Pott-head," Caleb said. "I prefer reality to fantasy."

Sam shrugged and leaned against a building. "So?"

"So, you're late. Pogue, Reid, and Tyler should be at Nicky's by now."

"How do you know they'll go tonight?" Sam asked.

"Because, they go every night. It's pretty much the highlight of our social calendar," Caleb said dryly.

"Ok. So tell me again why this friend of yours is going to believe me when I say you told me to talk to him? You know, with you being in a coma, and all," Sam asked pointedly. She ran a hand through her hair again, a sure sign of her nervousness. "I mean, do I just say take the Sixth Sense route and say 'I see semi-dead people'?"

Caleb smiled indulgently. "Relax. This isn't the strangest thing we've come across, trust me."

"Isn't the stra--just what exactly were you into when you had a body?!"

The sound of Caleb's laugh filled the alley, reverberating off the walls of the surrounding buildings.

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "Pogue would be the best to talk to. He'll be the one in the leather jacket and eyeliner."

For some reason, that did very little to sooth Sam's nerves.

"Alright, I'll go with you," he said.

She shivered as Caleb's hand past through her shoulder and tossed a glare back at him. He followed her down the street and into the dimly lit tavern.

"Over there," Caleb said, pointing to where his three friends sat. "Reid's the one in the beanie, Pogue's got longer hair," he pointed, yelling over the music and noise. "Tyler's the youngest. He's the one that looks like he's going to run away any minute."

Her gaze flitted over each boy as he pointed, and she arched a brow at his description of Tyler. The boy looked uncomfortable in the crowded corner, huddling back into his jacket as his blue eyes scanned the other groups nearby.

"You ready?" Caleb asked. Sam gave a brief nod. "Go on, then."

She weaved through the crowd until she got to the back table. The blond boy flicked his eyes over her—hesitating on her breasts, she noticed—before turning his attention back to Tyler.

Sam leaned down and tapped Pogue on the shoulder, stepping back when he whipped his bottle-green gaze around on her.

"Hi."

"Hey?" Pogue said, looking puzzled. "…Something you need?" he asked when Sam didn't say anything.

"Can I talk to you? Um, over there?" She pointed to the empty doorway that led to the restrooms.

Sam made her way over as Pogue stood, taking off his jacket and draping it over the back of his chair. "Reid, watch my stuff," he said, shrugging at Tyler's questioning look.

She watched him approach, noticing the confident way in which he carried himself. He waved to someone as he passed, and Sam noticed how defined his biceps looked. He appeared to be fit…and strong.

_All the better to break you in half when he thinks you're a freakin' nutbar, _she thought.

"Do I know you?" Pogue asked as he reached the mousy girl waiting for him.

"No. I just moved here. Well, it was back in December, but—"

"You're rambling," Caleb interjected from behind Pogue.

"—oh. Anyway, no, you don't know me. I'm Sam," she said, holding out her hand. Pogue shook it, smiling and looking amused.

"Pogue," he said. "So what can I do for you, Sam?"

"I was told to come talk to you," Sam said, ignoring Caleb's waving hands.

"That's entirely the wrong approach!" he exclaimed quietly.

"To tell me….?" Pogue prodded.

Sam's eyes widened as her gaze flicked from Caleb to Pogue and back again.

"To tell you what happened to Caleb," she blurted.

He knew his best friend, and when Caleb saw Pogue straighten and saw the muscle in his jaw clench, he knew what was coming. He sighed and buried his face in his hands, waiting for Pogue's reaction.


	2. In With the InCrowd

**IN WITH THE IN-CROWD**

Sam saw the boy's demeanor change and turned her eyes to Caleb. He had uncovered his face and was now leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe.

"Whatever you know about what happened to Caleb," Pogue began, drawing her attention back to him, "you had better tell me. _Now_."

She looked back at Caleb, who held up his hands and shrugged. "Might as well go on with it. He's not going to pay any attention to us right now anyway."

"He told me that somebody cursed or hexed him or something. That's why he's in a coma."

"He told you? He who? Caleb?" Pogue asked.

Sam nodded, not at all comfortable with the way the other boy's eyes darkened to a stormy green.

"You should leave," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "I'm far from the mood to deal with crazy."

"But I'm not crazy!" Sam said, watching him leave. "Great! Wonderful…what the hell am I supposed to do with you now?" she demanded as she turned to Caleb.

"I've got an idea," Caleb said.

"If it involves me going back to that table, then you can forget it," Sam said crossing her arms.

"Trust me, Sam," Caleb said. "This will work."

-

Pogue frowned down at his coke, not listening as Reid and Tyler argued about whether Xhang Xiyi or Kate Beckinsale was the hotter actress.

"Oh, hey. Kate stopped by when you had your little rendezvous. She said she thinks her CD case is still in your room. When you get a chance to find it, she needs it back."

Pogue looked at Tyler and nodded absently. He and Kate had stopped dating but were still friends, and she was the least of his worries at the moment.

He spared a glance to where he had left Sam, surprised to see the girl was still standing there. He watched as she talked to herself through clenched teeth, crossing her arms. She closed her eyes and tucked her hands in her pockets, muttering something. Taking a deep breath and tossing a peeved glare over her shoulder, she started over to where Pogue sat, hesitating when she saw him watching.

"What's with the girl?" Tyler asked, noticing Pogue's frown.

"She's nuts, that's what's with her," Pogue said, turning away from her. "She thinks she's a psychic or something."

"Hi again," Sam said, smiling sheepishly as she approached.

Tyler returned her smile, Reid arched an arrogant brow, and Pogue ignored her.

"So Pogue tells us you fancy yourself a psychic," Reid said, smiling mischievously. "Prove it."

"I'm not a psychic," Sam said. "I just talk to astral bodies."

"Astral bodies? Like out-of-body spirits?" Tyler asked, receiving a glare from Pogue. "What? I like studying the paranormal."

"Don't feed in to her delusions," Pogue said.

"Ok, you know what? That's it. That is _it_." Sam slapped her palm on the table, leaning over close to Pogue.

"Do you think I asked for your friend to come up and talk to me? Hmm? Do you think it was my idea to come in here tonight and talk to you, knowing that you'd think I was crazy? No. I could be home right now, watching Supernatural and eating cheese puffs, but instead I'm here, trying to get you to believe me so Caleb will let me sleep."

"Whoa, whoa," Reid said angrily. "You're telling us you're seeing Caleb?"

"Yes," Sam said, not taking her eyes off Pogue. "He's supposed to be thinking of something that only he knows to prove to you that I can hear him. How's that coming, by the way?" Sam asked, looking up at Caleb.

"Ok, time to go," Pogue said, standing and taking her arm.

"Cecily! Cecily Watson. Tell Pogue the first girl he ever had a crush on was Cecily Watson," Caleb said, snapping his fingers.

"The first girl you ever had a crush on was Cecily Watson!" Sam said, struggling against his hold. Pogue loosened his grip and frowned.

"How do you know that? Nobody knew that except…"

"Except Caleb?" Sam said, jerking her arm away. "Yeah. I think I just saw the cartoon lightbulb come on."

Pogue looked at Tyler and Reid, who were now standing, silently asking what he should do. Reid shrugged.

"It's up to you, man," Tyler said.

"Alright," Pogue said after a moment, turning back to Sam. "You meet us at our old club house tomorrow at 3:30. If Caleb really talks to you, you'll know where to go."

Sam nodded, smiling softly as Caleb's face lit with a grin. She left the tavern and started toward her car. Caleb raised his arms in victory.

"Yes! We're in!"

He laughed happily and smiled at Sam. "Thank you, Sam."

"Don't thank me yet. All I've done so far is narrowly avoid getting my ass kicked by a couple of guys. You won't need to thank me until you have a body again."

-

"So what do you think?" Tyler asked when Sam left.

Pogue watched her leave and reached for his glass, noting the way his hand shook slightly. Could the girl be telling the truth? Was Caleb walking around somewhere out there without a body, unable to communicate with anyone?

"I don't know," Pogue said.

"It's crazy, right? I mean, talking to astral bodies? _Caleb's_ astral body?" Reid shook his head. "That's bullshit. It's impossible."

"Like flying is impossible? Or fixing things with magic? Impossible like that, you mean?" Tyler whispered, leaning in.

"Enough," Pogue said. He rubbed his eyes, attempting to hold back the headache that threatened. "Look, so she knew about Cecily. Big deal. We wait until tomorrow, go around 4 o'clock to make sure she doesn't just follow us, then we'll know if she's telling the truth."

The boys sat back, leisurely drinking their sodas and eyeing the other patrons.

"Didn't Cecily Watson have two different colored eyes?" Reid asked after a moment.

"Shut up, Reid."

-

-

"Do you think they left already? I mean, I was a few minutes late," Sam asked, checking her watch. Caleb paced the clearing, muttering to himself.

"I doubt it. They'll be here," he said.

Sam looked around, taking in the beauty of the woods. They were a good ways in, on the western border of the Simms's land. The ruins of what had once been the boys' secret hideout stood in the middle of the clearing.

"You're sure this Pogue guy didn't just tell me to come out here, never planning to show up himself?"

"No," Caleb said. "Pogue wouldn't do that."

"And you're sure they aren't just going to come out here and kick my ass?"

Caleb stopped and speared her with a droll stare. "My friends and I aren't really in to beating people up at random," he said. "Especially women."

"Well ex-ca-yuze me," Sam said. "It's just that usually when people go to the abandoned warehouse—or abandoned woods—they usually end up hanging upside down and bleeding from the face."

"You watch too many movies," Caleb said, resuming his pacing.

"No, baby. I lived in New Orleans."

Caleb chuckled and Sam smiled.

"So why can't you just use your magic and make one of them see you?" Sam asked.

"I've tried to power up. I guess I can't because I'm not corporeal." Caleb said.

"Who are you?"

Sam gasped and turned, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw Pogue, Tyler, and Reid at the edge of the clearing.

"I told you last night. My name's Sam."

Tyler watched her with rapt curiosity, while Pogue looked around the clearing as if to see Caleb.

"How'd you know about our abilities?" Pogue asked.

"Caleb told me. He told me everything— the covenant, what happens at your ascension …all of it."

"And you didn't find it strange to be talking to a spirit?" Pogue asked.

"Honey, I was born and raised in New Orleans. It takes a LOT for me to find something strange, especially when dealing with the supernatural."

Reid remained stoic, but he paled slightly when he realized she was telling the truth.

"Why can you see Caleb and nobody else can?" he asked in an almost defiant tone.

"I've seen astral projections before," Sam said. "It's a family thing. My gramps saw 'em all the time. Plus he was a necromancer, could talk to the dead and all that. And, he was like a genius when it came to earth magicks. When I was a kid, the first time I saw someone that my parents couldn't see, my gramps taught me all his stuff."

"What is earth magicks? Is that like the Power?" Tyler asked.

"Yes and no. From what I gathered, you guys are genetic power carriers and you have free access when you turn 13. With earth magicks, you have to summon the power, and you have to know what you are doing if you want to control it. The power comes from the same place—wherever that is—but channeled in very different ways."

"So what happened to Caleb?" Pogue asked.

"He said somebody was waiting for him when he left you guys the other night. He heard them saying something and then he passed out. When he woke up…" Sam shrugged. "His car and body was gone and you guys were getting ready to go to the hospital."

"The cops towed your car," Tyler said, looking around the clearing.

"He's right there," Sam said, pointing between her and Reid.

"Oh. Well, the cops towed your car, but your mom got it back. It's in the garage at your house."

"He said thanks for letting him know and Reid, stop waving your arm through him."

The blond boy froze, arm aloft, before dropping it to his side and muttering an apology.

"I think you guys should all be on your guard. Obviously, whoever cursed Caleb knows their way around some sort of magic."

"Tell them to make a note of anyone suspicious," Caleb said.

"Caleb says make a note of anyone suspicious. Maybe he can match the descriptions."

"Ok," Pogue said. He laughed, but there was little humor in it. "This is screwed up, you know that, right?"

Sam nodded. "Oh, trust me. I know it."

"Let's get going," Tyler said. "This place gives me the creeps."

"Relax, Baby Boy. There's no such thing as the Blair Witch," Reid said, getting the boy in a loose headlock. Tyler pushed him away with a grin as they all headed through the woods for the main driveway.

"We're going to Nicky's. You want to come?" Pogue asked Sam.

"Sure," she said with a shrug. "We'll meet you there."

Pogue smiled and shook his head before putting on his helmet.

"I can't believe I'm referring to you like you're here," Sam said in disbelief as she unlocked her car. "Do you have any idea what this could do to my social life?"

"What social life?" Caleb asked. "Aside from last night at the bar, the only interaction I've seen you do is throwing popcorn and chips at the TV screen when the characters are idiots."

"Uh, yeah. That's because I've got an invisible guy following me around and I don't want to be provoked into talking to you in public."

"Just…get in the car. We'll go to Nicky's and have a normal evening."

Tyler and Reid pulled up beside her as she was getting in the car.

"You know how to get back to town?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Sam said, smiling.

Reid looked around Tyler and waved in Sam's general direction. "Hey Caleb, since you're in a coma can I have your CD collection?"

Reid laughed and Tyler shook his head at his friend, grinning as they pulled away.

"Is Reid always so…that?" Sam asked, following the SUV.

"When Reid isn't being a jackass, something must be wrong." Caleb said with a small smile. "He gives me crap all the time, but he's there when I need him. They all are. Let's just hope they stay that way."


	3. Witch One?

**Thanks to everyone who takes the time to review. I appreciate it!**

**-**

**-**

**Witch One?**

From the darkness of the alley, the figure watched them, the remaining Sons of Ipswich and their new flunky. The girl was an unknown, some transplant student to the public high school.

So what does three prestigious young men want with a seemingly less-than-average girl? Perhaps the girl was a gang whore or something. Whatever the case, she was of little concern.

Who will be the next to fall? Maybe Garwin, with his arrogant ways and misuse of powers. Hmm…or maybe the ever indestructible Pogue Parry? The figure watched as the group stopped just outside the door. The watcher smiled, a flash of white in the dark alley, as Tyler Simms shook his head and motioned to his SUV.

Yes, he would do just fine…

-

-

"Shit," Tyler said as the group reached the door to Nicky's. "I forgot, I've got a two-page essay due first period tomorrow."

"What, so you're not coming?" Reid asked.

"I can't. I gotta get back. I haven't even started yet," Tyler said, shaking his head. He motioned to his car. "You coming now?" he asked Reid.

"Can I catch a ride?" Reid asked Sam, who nodded.

"Nah, I'll be home later," he said, wrapping an arm around Sam. "Hopefully, much later."

"Mmm…sorry Casanova. You're not my type," Sam said, slipping out from under Reid's embrace.

"Too solid?" He asked, patting his torso.

Sam smiled tolerantly and rolled her eyes. "You're a riot."

"Later guys," Tyler said with a wave.

"Later. Hey!" Sam called. Tyler rolled down his window. "Watch yourself, alright?"

He gave a nod and waved again before Sam turned and joined the others inside.

-

-

"We've been at this for a week now, and no one has even seen anyone remotely suspicious. I don't know if you guys fully understand the seriousness of me not being connected with my body."

Caleb looked over at Sam, who was buried beneath her pillows, doing her best to ignore him.

"After a body is in a coma for a certain amount of time, chances of waking up are slim to none."

Sam groaned and sat up, rolling off the bed and shuffling to the bathroom. When she emerged a moment later, she sat on her bed and leaned against the wall.

"Ok Caleb. You have my undivided attention. Let's get all the negative energy out so that you can settle down and I can get back to sleep."

Caleb crawled in bed beside her, leaning his head against the wall. He talked to her about everything; his fear at the thought of never waking up, his apprehension for his friends, his concern for his mother.

Whenever he would open his eyes and look over at her, she would be sitting up and paying attention to him, her head tilted to the side in thought as she processed the things he was telling her. Caleb had never been so open with anyone outside of the Sons, and he was surprised to find that Sam was right. Just talking to her did make him feel calmer.

When he was finally done, he sighed and looked at her. "So, Doc? What's the diagnosis?"

"Caleb," Sam began, sitting up on her knees. "Your friends are some of the most loyal and devoted people I've ever met. They won't let anything happen to your mom while you're…indisposed. And I know I sure as hell won't let anything happen to you," she said, bringing her hand to his cheek.

Caleb gasped at the contact of her fingertips on his skin. "How are you doing that?" he asked, closing his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat as her fingers skimmed along his jaw.

"Focus. It comes with the package," Sam said with a soft smile.

Caleb turned his head to look at her, bringing his hand up to cover hers. He wasn't surprised when his hand slid through. Sam leaned forward, bracing her other hand on the wall beside his head. She tilted his chin up and lowered her mouth slowly.

Caleb could feel her breath on his lips, and wondered idly if she could feel his. He watched as her eyes fluttered shut…

The phone rang and Sam's eyes popped open. She gave a small yelp as she lost her balance and fell through Caleb. Their moans mingled as their forces blended. Caleb gritted his teeth against the pinpoints of pleasure that erupted along his skin…or whatever. He pushed himself from the bed, leaving Sam panting where she lay.

"Ssshit," she hissed.

"What the hell was that?" Caleb asked.

"I don't know. It's never happened before. Of course, I've never actually touched an astral body before, either."

"Samantha Jane," her mother called from the hallway. "There's a boy on the phone for you. Your father wanted to talk to him, but I wouldn't let him. Please let him know that calls made after midnight should be made to your cell, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Sam said, taking the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Pogue. Did I get you in trouble?"

"No, it's fine. Next time call my cell though. My pop is kind of a raging brute about calls after eleven or so. What's up?"

"I was just—why are you breathing so hard?"

"I, uh, had to run to get the phone," Sam lied. "'You were just' what?"

"Oh. I was just wanting to go over everything that happened with Caleb one more time. Something's not adding up. Can you take me through it, step-by-step?"

"You want to do this at 2:30 in the morning?"

"Is there anything else you were doing?" Pogue asked. "I mean, you sound pretty awake to me."

"Yeah, I mean, it's fine. Hang on a sec," she said looking at Caleb. "Pogue wants a step-by-step rundown of everything that happened that night in the parking lot."

"We've been over it," Caleb said despairingly.

"I know, but he wants details."

As Caleb rattled off everything he did that night on the way to the car, Sam repeated it to Pogue.

"I got in, started the car—no, I was going to start the car, but there was something under my wiper blade. Flowers or something. So I got out—"

"Whoa, wait. You've never said anything about flowers before,' Sam said.

"I never thought about them," Caleb said.

"Describe them to me."

"I don't know, small. Dried. Um, maybe purple at one time. Oh, the center was black, but that might have been because of being dried. They were tied with twine and a feather of somekind."

"Hang on a second, Pogue," Sam said, going to her bookcase. After selecting a book, she flipped through the pages until she came to what she was looking for.

"Is this it?" she asked, pointing to the page.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's it," Caleb said, nodding.

"Hensbane," she told Pogue. "It's a common herb used in spells. What we're looking for is a someone who knows their way around a curse, but isn't confident in their magic. So they doubled up with a little bit of Hoodoo."

"Hoodoo?" Pogue and Caleb asked together.

"Yes, and in order to get you back with your body, we're going to have to find the conjurer and make them reverse it."

"So we're looking for what? A Hoodoo priestess?"

"Not necessarily," Sam said. "Anyone can conjure Hoodoo, as long as they have some sort of magic capabilities."

"So we're pretty much where we started," Pogue said.

"Except we know now what we're looking for, just not who."

"That is a thoroughly confusing statement," Caleb said, lying down on Sam's bed.

"No, see, anyone with a hand in magic can do a curse. And anyone who believes in Hoodoo can work that, but why do both? Whoever we're looking for is a newbie."

"Did you really just say 'newbie'?" Pogue asked.

"Shut up. Anyway, whoever it is hasn't had much involvement with their magic. Find the inferior witch, find the conjurer."

"We're next door to Salem," Pogue replied. "There are pseudo-witches everywhere."

"So we hit the library. Research local witches—other than you guys," she added, "and anyone who might have been affected by magic. Like that Chance guy last year—"

"Chase," Pogue corrected.

"Right. Chase. Like him. He was all ballistic with his Power, right? Killing that kid and everything. Maybe somebody from the kid's family knows about you guys and wants revenge?"

"Maybe," Pogue said. He yawned. "Ok, it's late. Let's meet at the library tomorrow and we'll start looking. G'night."

"Good night, Pogue," Sam said, disconnecting the phone. "Caleb, this is great! It won't be long before—" she broke off, setting the phone on the base and shaking her head at the sight of Caleb dwarfing her bed. She picked up a blanket and spread it over him, rolling her eyes when it passed through him.

She crawled between him and the wall, careful not to merge, and covered up, hoping to get a few hours sleep before her alarm went off.

-

-

The phone next to Tyler's head rang four times before he woke up enough to answer it.

"Mmmf?"

It took a minute, but Tyler finally recognized the voice on the other end of the phone. "Is something wrong?"

He rolled over and checked his roommate's bed. "No, he must have found some girl to go home with."

Tyler sat up, running a hand through his already messy hair. "The roof?" he asked, yawning. "Yeah, I guess. 'k. Bye."

The boy flopped back on his bed with a groan before standing and pulling his jeans up over his boxers. He snagged a t-shirt off the end of his bed and left his room, climbing the back stairs to the door on the roof. The lock had long since been broken, and since the rooftop allowed for a great deal of privacy, no one had reported it.

"You out here?" Tyler called, shuffling along the edge of the building. He sat on the ledge and yawned again, breathing deep as the cool wind blew through his hair.

He heard a sound behind him and turned. "Hey. What's that?" he asked, taking the small flower that was being held out to him. He heard quiet spoken words, and then all went black.

-

-

**A/N: It's a bit shorter than the others, but CH 4 will be longer. I will try to get that typed up sometime today (Friday).**


	4. Dropping Like Flies

**Sorry about the delay for this one. It was unexpected. Just a heads up, CH 5 most likely won't be up 'til Monday.  
****Now, on to the story!**

**-**

**Dropping Like Flies**

At school the following morning, Reid was quick to find Pogue.

"Have you seen Tyler?"

"No. Should I have?" Pogue asked as he set out for his first class.

"When I got home this morning he wasn't home," Reid said. "I'd say maybe he just went out to get him some, but..."

"It's Tyler," Pogue finished.

"Exactly. He can go months at a time without sex. It's crazy."

"Anything unusual when you got in? Any sign of a struggle or anything?"

"No. That's what's freaking me out," Reid said with a shrug. "His bed was slept in, but it looked like he just went for a walk and didn't come back."

"What time did you get home?" Pogue asked.

The blond shrugged again. "Around four I guess."

Pogue was quiet while he thought, but a shout from the other end of the hallway drew his attention. A crowd of students rushed out the door and into the yard, looking up and pointing at the roof.

"What's going on?" Reid asked a passing student.

"There's somebody on the roof, hanging over the side," the girl said, rushing past them.

"Pogue..." Reid said nervously.

"Come on," Pogue said, pulling on Reid's sleeve as he ran toward the stairs.

"Whoa there, boys," a chunky guard said as they reached the door to the roof.

"Who's up there," Pogue asked.

"The Simms kid. The paramedics and the headmaster's out there now, but the kid's not responding to anything they're doing. Just laying over the side. Probably got some bad herb," the guard said with a shrug. He turned back toward the door, dismissing the boys.

Without warning, Reid's eyes shifted from a mischievous blue to an oily black and he rushed the guard, pinning him to the door.

"Move your ass outta the way," he said from between clenched teeth.

"Reid," Pogue said, taking the boy by the shoulders. "_Reid_. Relax, man. Take it easy."

Reid looked at Pogue and closed his eyes, tightening his grip on the back of the guard's jacket momentarily before he let him go. When he opened his eyes again, they had returned to normal.

"I'm writing you up, Garwin," the guard blustered.

"Blow me, Rent-a-Cop," Reid said, starting forward again. Pogue held his arm out, blocking his friend's advance.

From behind the guard, the door opened and the headmaster stepped inside, looking grim.

"Boys," he said, taking Reid and Pogue aside. "I understand Mr. Simms was a good friend of yours."

"What do you mean 'was'?" Reid asked, fighting panic. "What's wrong with Tyler?"

"He's in what the paramedics are calling a pseudocoma. He's conscious, but he's unable to move or speak due to partial paralysis. Tell me, Mr. Garwin. Do you know if Tyler was taking any drugs? Anything that might affect his brain function?"

"Tyler didn't do drugs," Reid said defensively. "He wouldn't have been on the team if he had been doing anything."

"Has he or Caleb been injured or anything that wasn't reported? I am trying to think of some reason why two healthy young men would simply slip into comas without warning."

Pogue and Reid shook their heads. "Is Tyler going to be okay?" Pogue asked.

"The paramedics are taking him to St. Agnes Hospital. They say he could regain function within an hour, or..."

The door opened again and the paramedics began descending the stairs with Tyler on a stretcher between them. His blue eyes were wide and panicked as they landed on Reid and Pogue.

"I understand that you boys are concerned for your friend, and I realize that as his roommate, you might want to go be with his mother," the older man told Reid. "But I think it is important for you to continue with your classes today, Mr. Parry. There's nothing you can do for him or Caleb by sitting in the hospital."

Pogue nodded to appease his audience, having no real intention of staying in school for the rest of the day.

The headmaster accompanied them down the stairs before taking Reid to his office to wait for his mother. Pogue retrieved his bookbag from his History classroom, ignoring the stares and whispers from the other kids.

Without a word to anyone, he left the school and got on his bike, driving at breakneck speed down the road on his way back into town.

-

Pogue entered the Ipswich public high school with a determined stride. He asked around until he found someone who knew Sam, then went and waited by her locker until the bell rang.

"Pogue?" Sam asked, stopping in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"Something's wrong with Tyler," Pogue said. "I think whoever went after Caleb got to him. Reid's at the hospital with him and his mom, and I'm...I don't know what I'm doing. Where's Caleb?"

"I don't know," Sam said as she stuffed her books into her locker. "During school hours he goes off and does his own thing. Come on," she said, taking Pogue's hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked, following her.

"Somewhere to talk."

She led him down the hall and into the cafeteria, quietly sneaking past the workers, and going into the back of the kitchen. From there, she led him down a flight of stairs and into the boiler room.

"Have a seat," Sam said, taking a seat on the bottom step. Pogue sat and stretched his long legs.

"So, what are we going to do?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Pogue said, sounding lost. "This is the first time I've ever been by myself in something that mattered. I mean, we all have our own lives, but when something important comes along that effects all of us, we discuss options together. Now it's up to me and Reid, and Reid is just as liable to go off half-cocked than listen to anything I have to say."

"You're forgetting a couple of important things there, Pogue," Sam said with a small smile. "You've got me, and you've still got Caleb...well, sort of. And Reid, for all that I've heard about him, will stick with you."

"So, what are we going to do?" Pogue asked, repeating Sam's previous question.

She chuckled, then laid a comforting hand on Pogue's knee. "Research, my dear. Is there anybody else that knows about your powers?"

Pogue shook his head, his eyes suddenly fixed on her mouth. He absently realized her lips were moving, but he ignored it as he lowered his lips to hers.

Sam squeaked in surprise as Pogue's mouth closed on hers, swallowing whatever it had been that she was saying. Her eyes fluttered closed and she brought a hand up to his cheek, sighing quietly.

The stairwell was flooded with light as the boiler room door was opened, and the sound of a throat clearing echoed off the walls.

Pogue and Sam separated guiltily, looking up the stairs at Sam's pricipal.

"Mr. Blandings," Sam said in greeting as her face flushed.

"Miss McGovern, in my office," the man said. He fixed a glare on Pogue and narrowed his eyes. "I don't recall seeing you on my school roster, Mr. Parry. I suggest you get yourself off my campus before I have you removed formally."

It didn't surprise Pogue that the principal knew him; his family was, after all, one of the most prominent in the area. He nodded and stood, helping Sam to her feet and offering her a look of apology. She smiled at him and crinkled her nose, indicating it was no big deal.

"Get Reid and whoever else you trust not to ask questions and meet me at the library tonight," she whispered as the went up the stairs. "I'll bring Caleb."

Pogue nodded and scooted past the principal, who motioned for Sam to lead the way to his office.

-

"What's going on?" Caleb asked Sam as soon as she walked out of school. "I was at the hospital earlier and saw Reid. They had rushed Tyler in. What happened?"

"I don't know. Pogue said they found him on the roof," Sam said. "He suspects whoever came after you."

"Well, duh," Caleb said.

"We're supposed to meet them at the library to do a little research," Sam said. "Reid and Pogue, I mean."

"What's with the voice?" Caleb asked, settling himself into Sam's passenger seat.

"What voice?" Sam asked innocently.

"The whispery voice just then," Caleb said, grinning mischievously and arching a brow. "You sounded like Reid's little sister when she's talking about Justin Timberlake."

"Shut up," Sam said, blushing.

There was a tap on Sam's window and she groaned. She hit the button and rolled the window down, pasting a smile on her face. "Yes," she asked Principal Blandings.

"I meant what we talked about, Samantha. There's a three strike policy at this school. Don't forget to return that behavior report with your parents' signature. I hope nothing like this happens again," he said pointedly.

"No sir," Sam said. "It won't."

He nodded and straightened, and Sam rolled her window up.

"Did you get in trouble today?" Caleb asked.

"I sort of skipped a class," Sam said. "Pogue came and found me and was really upset, so I took him to talk."

"Hm. Let me guess," Caleb said, thoroughly enjoying himself. "You were discovered and automatically it was assumed that you had skipped to have a serious make-out session. Am I right?"

Sam's blush deepened and Caleb smiled. "And the principal didn't believe you when you said you were just talking?"

"No," Sam said quietly. "Pogue and I were...well, we were kind of kissing when he found us. Shut up, Caleb. It's not funny," she insisted as Caleb laughed. Her mouth curved in a self-depreciating smile. "Now I get to go home and tell my parents that I was found kissing a boy that doesn't go to my school in the boiler room."

"Nice," Caleb said. "Real nice."

"Shut up," Sam said again, turning up the radio. She looked at him as she waited for a red light, her brows furrowing as she noticed that she was now able to see through him somewhat.

That couldn't be a good thing.

-

"Hey guys," Sam said as she entered the library. "Sorry I'm late. I had some explaining to do to my folks."

Pogue smiled softly and Reid smirked, obviously having been filled in on what had happened.

"Oh, Sam," Pogue said. "This is Kate. Kate, Sam."

"Hi," Kate said, extending a hand which Sam shook.

"Kate's going to help us help you do research for your History project," Pogue said.

"Oooh, right," Sam said, nodding. "Well, the more the merrier."

"So what are we looking for, exactly," Kate asked.

"Well," Sam said, searching the boys' faces. "I figured everyone's done the witch trials thing into the ground, right? So I was thinking trying to find something on modern locals who claim to have had encounters with magic, as well as historical documentation of curses and stuff."

"You're good at making crap up," Caleb said from beside her.

"Wow. The teachers at the public must be a lot more flexible than here. And I mean that in a non-stuck up way," she clarified hastily.

"Yeah," Sam said, nodding. "My history teacher embraces his students' creativity."

"Cool," Kate said, smiling.

"Ok," Reid said, clapping his hands. "Let's get this party started. Pogue and I will take the modern blah-blah-blah, you guys get the old stuff," he said, shoving Pogue's shoulder to get him walking.

Kate and Sam (and Caleb) set out to look through the tomes on local history. They worked in almost complete silence for the first couple of hours. Finally, Kate spoke.

"So you and Pogue are..." Kate said with an arched brow.

"Oh, we aren't anything," Sam said, flipping through a book.

"Honey, I've been there," Kate said, laughing. "Pogue is a great guy."

"Were you two together?" Sam asked, surprised.

Kate nodded. "For a few months. I'm more of a casual girl, where as Pogue is...I don't know. He's intense, ya know? But he's a good friend too."

"Yeah, that's what I've heard," Sam said. "The four of them are pretty tight knit, huh?"

"Yeah. They've been stuck together since they were born. Their families are really close," Kate explained, picking up another book. Some things fell out and she bent to pick them up.

"Hey, Sam," Caleb said. "Try this one." He pointed to an old tattered book on the top of a shelf.

Sam went to the shelf and opened the book, gasping when a big spider crawled over the page. "Shit!"

She crushed the spider and flipped to the table of contents, shaking her head at Caleb. "There's nothing useful in this one either," she whispered.

"Hey Kate," she said, turning. "Do you want to take a break? We've been at this for hours and–Kate?"She looked around the corner and down the next few aisles. "Kate?"

Kate was nowhere to be found.


	5. FFFFade Away

They searched all night for any sign of Kate, but found nothing. No one had seen or heard anything.

"Should we report it to the police?" Sam asked.

"And say what?" Reid asked. "'Excuse me officers, but our two friends are in the hospital due to magic related illnesses, and we think whoever put them there kidnapped his ex-girlfriend'," he said, pointing to Pogue. "I'm sure they'd put forth a lot of effort to help us."

"I'm going to see Tyler," Pogue said.

"Tell him to take it easy," Caleb said. "We need to stop and think about this."

Sam told Pogue what Caleb said, but Pogue ignored it. "Tyler saw whoever is responsible for all of this," Pogue said.

"He's also in a coma," Sam pointed out.

"I can't just let Kate fall victim to something just because she was close to us. Not again."

"Pogue. Pogue!" Reid called, watching as Pogue strode to his bike and rode away. "Shit."

"Come on," Sam said, heading to her car. Reid climbed in the passenger seat and Caleb got in the back. Sam could see the car behind her through his head.

"If he goes in Tyler's room and loses it, they'll call the cops to escort him out," Caleb said.

"I know," Sam said.

"Know what?" Reid asked.

"He'll resist and they'll arrest him. He can't go to jail."

"I _know_," Sam insisted.

"Can you do me a favor and not have a one-sided conversation while I'm here?" Reid said. "It drives me nuts."

"Sorry," Sam said, shifting gears and driving faster.

-

They found Pogue in Tyler's room, sitting on the edge of the bed as the younger boy stared helplessly up at him.

"Anything?" Sam whispered as they entered. Pogue shook his head and looked up at her. He stood and squeezed Tyler's arm briefly before leaving the room.

"He's useless," he whispered as he passed Reid and Sam.

Reid followed him out, spoiling for a fight. It took a lot out of him to see Tyler like that, and mixed with Pogue's callous assessment, it was enough to have his temper flaring.

"Just where in the hell do you get off?" he demanded, grabbing Pogue's arm and turning him. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Pogue asked. He stepped closer to Reid and lowered his voice to a dangerously quiet tone.

"Nothing, yet. Give it time though, and I'm sure I'll be laid up like Tyler. Or like Caleb. Remember him? He's three doors down that way," he said, pointing.

"So because you're scared, that gives you the right to be an asshole," Reid said matter-of-factly, standing toe to toe with Pogue.

"That's enough," Sam whispered, stepping up to them. She looked over her shoulder for Caleb, but saw that he was still in the room with Tyler. Sam shouldered her way between the two boys as best she could and laid a hand on Pogue's chest.

"Listen to me," she demanded. "Caleb is fading. I don't know what it means, but it can't be good. If he fades completely…I don't know if we'll be able to get him back. We need to figure this out fast before we lose them all for good."

"She's right," Pogue said, still eyeing Reid. "We're fucked unless we stay focused."

Reid nodded and clenched his jaw. "So what now?" he asked, looking at Sam.

-

Caleb watched as Reid and Pogue bowed up on each other and sighed. He turned his attention back to Tyler, jolting when he realized the boy was looking directly at him.

"Tyler?" Caleb asked uncertainly, waving a hand in front of Tyler's eyes. "Blink if you can see me."

The boy blinked. Caleb barely restrained himself from shouting his excitement.

"Did you see who did this to you?" he asked.

Tyler blinked again. He stared hard at Caleb before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were completely blacked out.

"_Caleb?"_

"Yeah," Caleb said, smiling in relief. "I can hear you, man."

"_God, Caleb, I am so freaked out. I can't move."_

"I know, man. I know," Caleb said. "Just take it easy. Tell me who did this."

Tyler's breathing quickened and his eyes darted around frantically_. "I can't stay like this, man. You gotta fix it."_

"I will, Tyler. I'll take care of everything. Look at me," he instructed. When the other boy obeyed, he leaned in and said very slowly, "Tell me who did this."

-

Caleb emerged from Tyler's room just in time to hear Reid's question. "I talked to Tyler," he said.

Sam turned to him but left her hand on Pogue's chest, still not certain the two boys wouldn't light into each other at any moment. "What do you mean you talked to Tyler? How?"

"Did he find out who did it?" Reid asked.

"How'd he talk to Tyler?" Pogue asked at the same time.

"He used and linked telepathically," Caleb said. He locked his dark eyes with hers and looked solemn.

"Sam, I know who did this to us."

-

The next morning at school, Tyler's illness was the topic of conversation for just about everyone. That was soon put aside however.

"What the hell's your problem, Garwin," Pogue asked, stepping up on Reid the next morning at school.

"Maybe I get tired of the same shit day after day," Reid said nonchalantly, letting his backpack slide to the floor.

"Well, how about I give you a break from the monotony and kick your ass right here?" Pogue said, his voice perilously hushed.

Reid scoffed and turned away, swinging without warning. His fist connected with Pogue's jaw with a resounding crack, and the classroom exploded into action with the other students encircling them almost instantly.

Reid's fists connected with Pogue's body a couple more times before Pogue rolled, pinning his smaller adversary and punching him in the mouth. Blood poured from Reid's lip as he kicked toppling Pogue back into a desk.

Both boys were roughly grabbed by the backs of their shirts and dragged away from one another, then escorted to the headmaster's office by security.

Reid sat, dabbing at his bloody lip as Pogue was reamed by the headmaster. When the door opened and the two men emerged, Pogue smirked. Reid, unable to resist further temptation, stuck his foot out and tripped Pogue before getting shoved into the headmaster's office.

-

-

**I know this one is short, but the next one is REALLY long. **


	6. OooHoo Witchy Woman

**Oops. Had to break it up, so it isn't as long as I thought it would be.  
Still longer than the last one though. ENJOY!**

**-**

**-**

**OooHoo Witchy Woman**

Later, Reid stood in the men's shower room down the hall from his room, dabbing at his busted lip with a wet paper towel. He cursed, leaning close to the mirror and examining how deep the cut went. It hurt like a bitch, but it was a clean split.

He spat into the sink and rinsed it, kicking the door open and trudging down the hall toward his room. He tucked his hands in his hoodie pocket as he sulked. He and Pogue had been suspended from classes for three days, which was fine with him. He had more important things to worry about anyway.

Lost in his own thoughts, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he looked up and saw someone standing in front of him.

"Reid!" Kate cried, throwing her arms around him. "Oh my God, what happened?"

Reid returned her embrace, more out of surprise than anything. "Kate, we've been looking everywhere for you."

"I don't know what happened," she said, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I woke up a little while ago in the attic of the library. God, Reid, I was so scared. Then I came to find you and Pogue, but Chris Masters said you guys were in a big fight and got suspended."

"Yeah, well. It's been a long time coming," Reid said, placing a hand at the small of her back as they walked to his room. He reached into his jeans pocket and withdrew his room key.

"I looked for Pogue, but I couldn't find him," she said.

"He probably went back to the hospital," Reid said, unlocking his door.

"So you're just going to stay here alone?" she asked, sounding sympathetic.

"You get used to it," Reid replied. "Besides," he said, giving her a charming grin. "You're here, so I'm not technically alone now, am I?"

Kate smiled and shut the door as Reid put his key in his hoodie pocket. His fingers brushed something and he looked at Kate curiously, as he took out a dried flower.

Kate stepped forward, a look of triumph on her face, as she began to whisper the words of her spell.

"Freeze his body, stiff and still. Quick to maim, slow to kill. Take the spark that—UHN!"

Kate's curse ended abruptly as Sam leapt from Reid's closet and tackled her from behind.

Reid tossed the flower away and sat on the bed, shaking his head against the slight dizziness that Kate's spell had evoked.

Sam sat on Kate's back, pinning one of her own wrists against her spine and pressing her face into the carpet. Kate struggled, but there wasn't a lot of mobility in her current position. She screamed and kicked, shouting obscenities at Sam and Reid.

Sam wrapped Kate's long hair around her fist and pulled her head up. "That's not very nice," Sam said between clenched teeth.

Caleb came out of the bathroom, followed closely by a battered and bruised Pogue. Sam forced herself not to worry that she was able to see Pogue clearly through Caleb.

When Kate saw Pogue, she let out a new string of curses.

"You set me up!" she shrieked. Pogue knelt in front of her and peeled back a strip of duct tape.

"Yeah, we did," he said, slapping the tape over Kate's mouth. Sam grabbed Kate's other wrist and held them together while Pogue bound them with tape as well.

They picked the girl up and tossed her in a chair, firmly securing her legs.

"Duct tape is a kidnapper's prized possession," Sam commented with a nod.

Pogue stood in front of Reid. The blond raised his head and nodded that he was fine before standing and joining the semicircle around Kate.

"Caleb," Sam said. "Would you like to ask the first question?"

Kate's eyes widened slightly and then narrowed to insolent slits.

"Ask her why she did this," Caleb said, glaring at Kate.

"Caleb," Sam said with a sigh. "This is an interrogation. You can't just get right to the point like that. Don't you ever watch movies?"

"Just ask her," Caleb said, shaking his head.

"Fine," Sam said, raising her hands. She turned her attention back to Kate.

"Caleb says why are you doing this? I'm going to take the tape off your mouth so you can answer, and if you get too loud I am going to hit you in the face with this phone book." She held up a thick book of Yellow Pages. "Got me?"

She ripped the tape off and Kate hissed as the harsh adhesive tore her lips. She eyed Sam with hatred and clenched her jaw shut.

Pogue, having taken her betrayal very personally, grabbed her chin and brought his face close to hers. "Answer. The question," he said slowly.

"Rot in hell!" Kate shouted.

_WHAP!_

Reid had to steady the chair to keep it from falling onto its side as he, Pogue, and Caleb all stared at Sam in shock. She still held the Yellow Pages aloft and stood blinking down at the now bleeding Kate.

"That," Sam said quietly, "was entirely too loud, and rather uncalled for."

She lowered the book and leaned toward Kate. "This doesn't have to get ugly," she said. "But it certainly _can_."

A small stream of blood leaked from Kate's nose and her eyes watered. "Fine," she said at length. "After Chase put that spell on me, I felt…amazing when I woke up. It was the magic. My blood practically hummed with it. Don't look so shocked, Parry," Kate said, curling her lip. "You four were selfish with your power, but Chase was generous."

"He tried to kill you, you crazy bitch," Reid said, stepping forward.

"He _shared_ with me," Kate said loudly, quieting when Sam raised the book again. Shrugging her shoulders, she looked back at Pogue.

"When I woke up, I wanted more, but Caleb had taken a lot out of him and he didn't want to risk using too much."

"She met with Chase after the night at the Putnam barn?" Caleb asked.

Sam asked the question and Kate smirked. "Yes. He showed me how to develop the magic I had, and when I was ready, I made my move."

"You couldn't take our magic," Reid said. "It doesn't work like that."

"It does when you die," Kate spat. "Chase told me so."

"And that makes it gospel," Pogue said, looking at her in disgust. "You're pathetic, Kate."

"Mm…well, whose fault is it that he put a spell on me in the first place?" Kate asked sweetly.

Pogue's eyes flashed with guilt and that pissed off Sam. "Stuff it, Princess," she said. "It wasn't Pogue's fault you were after Chase like a cat in heat in the first place. He did everything he could to warn you off."

"What do you know about it, hick?" Kate asked. "You were in some scummy public at this time."

"This is getting us nowhere," Caleb said, breathing deeply. Sam agreed.

"Tell you what, Kate," Sam said. "You take the spells off Caleb and Tyler and we'll let you go."

Kate laughed, a dark and lethal sound. "Not a chance," she said, smiling.

Reid's eyes turned black and he gripped Kate's throat. "Reverse it," he growled between clenched teeth.

"No way in hell," Kate gasped out.

"Reid," Pogue said. He laid a hand on Reid's arm. After another few seconds, the other boy let go.

Kate coughed and gasped as air rushed to fill her lungs. Her throat burned and there was a dark red handprint scorched into her skin where Reid had held her throat.

Caleb groaned, drawing Sam's attention. "Caleb?"

He was doubled over and clutching his stomach. He raised his head and looked at her, a stark look of pain on his face. His black eyes narrowed as he grimaced.

"Sam, I don't know what's happening," he groaned.

"What is it?" Pogue asked, looking where she was looking but not seeing anything.

"Something's wrong with Caleb," Sam said, pulling a small linen bag out of her pocket. "He's in a lot of pain."

She turned to Kate. "It was Reid and Pogue's idea to tie you up and question you," she said. "But consider this your last chance, Kate, before we do things my way."

Kate pasted an impertinent smirk on her face and stared at Sam, who smiled a chilling smile in return.

"I was hoping you'd be stupid," Sam said, unfolding the small bag. "You see, when the boys use their magic, they get older. Which is why, I'm guessing, they didn't just toast your ass until you took your spells off Tyler and Caleb."

She sat cross-legged on the end of Reid's bed and poured a little pile of dirt onto the spot in front of her. She reached in the bag and removed a small, ornate box, setting it on top of the soil. "But—and this is really nice for me—I don't age when I use magic, because my body isn't the source, like the guys' bodies are. So, here we go."

To her left, Caleb stood, clenching now and then as pain wracked his body.

Pogue and Reid watched her curiously. She closed her eyes and sat, clearing her mind of the things around her. She felt her hair stir and a cool breeze brushed her cheek. There was a soft click, and Sam knew that the lights had just gone out.

"What the f—"

"Sshh…" Pogue interrupted Reid's expletive.

Sam opened her eyes and locked gazes with Kate. The wind was blowing more forcefully now, whipping Kate's hair like Medusa's serpents. Slowly, Kate's eyes widened and her back bowed, her mouth open in a silent scream. A blue smoke began to rise from Kate's skin, gathering in a cloud above her head. Sam's eyes moved slowly to the decorative box in front of her, and the boys watched, transfixed, as the smoke followed suit.

The box flipped closed and locked, and Kate sat back in the chair. There was a bright flash as lightening streaked across the room, the force of it throwing Pogue and Reid away from Kate.

"Holy God," Pogue breathed. "Is she dead?"

"Not exactly," Sam said, looking at Kate's spirit. "But she will be soon."

Kate's spirit stood next to her body, looking from it to Sam and back again. "How…" She shook her head. "That's impossible."

"Listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once," Sam said.

"Is she talking to Kate?" Pogue whispered.

"I think so," Reid replied. "I hope so, anyway."

Sam ignored them and focused on Kate. "Either you fix Tyler and Caleb _right now_, or you die. Better think fast, princess. Your body's getting cold."

"This is some scary shit," Reid whispered to Pogue, who nodded.

Kate looked at her body one more time and tossed her hair over her shoulder, crossing her arms and locking eyes with Sam. Her eyes narrowed and she smirked, whispering under her breath.

Caleb fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself with a scream of anguish before disappearing.


	7. The End of the Beginning

**The End of the Beginning**

Sam looked at the spot where Caleb had just been, then whipped her attention to Kate, baring her teeth.

A mighty wind swept through the room, disheveling books and papers. Suddenly it was still and eerily silent.

"Talk to us, Sam," Pogue said, lowering his arms from where he had been protecting his head. "What's going on?"

"Caleb is gone," Sam said quietly. Her gaze cut to Kate's still form and back to her spirit.

"What do we do now?" Reid asked.

"Nothing," Sam said, her voice still devoid of emotion. "We let her die and we move on."

"You can't do that," Kate protested. "I held up my end of the deal."

"What do you mean you held it up?" Sam asked. "It sounded like he was dying."

"Oh, I have no doubt it hurt like hell," Kate said. "But he's back with his body."

Pogue's cell phone rang and he swore. He looked at the number on the phone, paling when he saw that it was Caleb's mom.

"Hello?" He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Ok. We'll be there soon."

He closed his phone and nodded to Sam. "Mrs. Danvers said Caleb's pressure went up and his breathing stabilized. They think he might be coming out of it."

Reid dialed Tyler's cell phone number and greeted the other boy's sister.

"How's he doing?" He raised his eyes to Pogue and nodded. "Ok. Caleb's coming out too. Me and Pogue'll be there in a while." He hung up the phone and looked at Sam. "Tyler's starting to move around some."

"See?" Kate said, smiling haughtily. "Restore me now."

"Fine," Sam said, a bit begrudgingly. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, once again calling on a wind from an unknown source. Kate shrieked and curled in on herself as her spirit was dragged back into her body. When the last of it had rejoined her body, Sam urged the wind in one final gust, blowing Kate's chair over.

"Ow! Bitch!" the girl said as her shoulder collided with the floor.

Sam opened her eyes and arched a brow. "Glad to see you made it back," she said drolly.

She rose from the bed, stretching her arms over her head before slipping the little box back into the bag and brushing the soil from Reid's bed. She gave him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. I'll sweep that up later."

"It's no problem," he said. He straightened Kate's chair and took out his pocketknife, cutting the tape and unbinding her legs.

"Give me my magic back," Kate demanded.

"Uh…how 'bout no," Sam said, not bothering to look at her.

"You said you—"

"I said you wouldn't die. I never said anything about giving you your magic back. What, do you think I'm stupid?"

Kate shouted and ranted at Sam, calling her every unsavory name she could think of. Sam tucked the small bag safely back into her pocket and smiled at Kate.

"I'm not giving it back, Kate. Deal with it." She added with a wicked grin, "On second thought…by all means, try to take it back."

Reid pulled Kate to her feet and sliced the bonds on her wrists. Pogue grabbed her by the upper arm and turned her to face him, powering up and digging his fingers into her flesh to emphasize his point.

"Leave, Kate. Pack your shit, get in your car, and leave the area. I don't care where you go, just as long as you go. If you ever show your face around here again, regardless of how much of my life it will cost me, I will make sure your death is long and painful. Do you understand me?"

Kate, obviously recognizing that Pogue was in no way bluffing, nodded and jerked her arm away. She looked at Sam as if to say something, but Pogue and Reid stepped toward her, so she turned and stormed from the room and out of their lives.

Sam looked around Reid's room and grimaced. "Jeez, I'm sorry," she told him. "I made a mess."

Reid shrugged. "No worries. Now it just looks like Pogue's room," he said, slapping his friend on the back.

Sam looked over her shoulder at the door. "Do y'all think she's really going to leave?"

Pogue nodded. "I'm sure of it," he said. "Whether she'll stay gone or not remains to be seen," he added with a shrug. "But we'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it."

"Leave it," Reid said when Sam bent to pick up some books. "We've gotta get to the hospital."

Pogue took Sam's hand and led her out of the room, pausing and waiting for Reid to lock his door.

"Nice shiner, by the way," Sam said to Pogue, tucking her tongue between her teeth as she examined the big purple bruise that spread over his cheek and beneath his eye.

"Lucky shot," Pogue said with a shrug.

"Lucky shot, my ass," Reid chimed in. "That was a perfectly aimed shot. You didn't get your block up fast enough, Parry."

"Like hell," Pogue argued with a grin. "If it had been a real fight you never would have gotten a hit."

"Riiight," Reid said. "'Cause you are practically a cage fighter."

Pogue smiled and arched a brow. "One of us walked away bleeding, that's all I'm saying," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Personally," Sam intoned before the good-natured argument could continue, "I think both of you did a really good job manipulating the situation. How'd you know Kate would go after Reid?"

"Reid's a sulker," Pogue said, receiving a playful punch on the arm from Reid. "She knew he'd go lock himself in his room and cry."

"Eat me," Reid said with a smirk. He eyed Sam and nodded to her. "So that stuff you did back there…that was some pretty heavy shit."

Sam shrugged. "I guess. I thought I was going to lose my handle on it when Caleb disappeared, but I focused in and got control. It's tricky, using magic like that."

"You shouldn't," Pogue said. "It's addictive and—"

"I know," Sam said, interrupting him. "But I don't think it is like it must be when you guys use. Believe me, there's nothing seductive about calling earth magicks."

They left through the back entrance and piled in Tyler's SUV. Reid glanced in the rearview mirror at Sam as they drove to the hospital.

"So?"

"Sooo, what?" Sam asked.

"Aren't you going to ask Pogue about the kiss?"

"Shut up, Garwin," Pogue said from the passenger seat. Sam couldn't be sure, but it looked like he was blushing.

Pogue focused his attention on a fray in his jeans, picking at the threads.

"I wasn't being some sex-starved horny teenager," Pogue said, shaking his head defensively.

"Even though he is," Reid added.

"I got caught up in the moment," Pogue explained. "It's not like we have to go out or anything."

Sam arched a brow. Was that supposed to make her feel better?

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked curiously.

"Smooth," Reid muttered. "I thought you were supposed to be all Mr. Big Sexy?"

"Just drive," Pogue ordered. He turned around and looked at her. "I just didn't want you to think that you were obligated to go out with me just because I kissed you in the heat of the moment."

Sam nodded. "So what if you had kissed me when it wasn't 'the heat of the moment'?"

Pogue opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again because he didn't know what to say. Sam saved him from any further floundering, however, when she unbuckled her seatbelt and closed the distance between their mouths. She cupped his cheek and turned his face more to hers, deepening their kiss.

Reid cleared his throat. "We're here." Pogue and Sam continued kissing. "Tyler just conditioned the leather," he said. "So he'd probably be pissed if he gets out of the hospital and there's Pogue's man-juice on his seat."

The kissing couple separated. "Gross!" Sam said, laughing. "You're so nasty, Reid."

The blond just grinned and parked the SUV, turning off the ignition and pocketing the keys.

-

-

"The doctor said that Tyler must have been overly stressed," Peggy Simms said. At twelve, she was the spitting image of her older brother, only as a girl. "He's gotta stay one more night, but they're releasing him in the morning."

She looked up from her Nintendo DS and grinned at Reid. "Nice lip, Dolph," she said, referring to the actor that she thought Reid resembled. "You know my friend Susan? Her older sister said you got your ass kicked today by Pogue."

Reid feigned laughter and took her DS stylus away from her, tossing it over his shoulder so that the kid had to scurry after it. He grinned as she cursed him and went into Caleb's room where everyone—including the temporarily wheelchair bound Tyler—was gathering.

Pogue ushered Sam to the side of the bed. "Sam, Caleb," he said, smiling.

Caleb looked at her curiously and stuck out his hand to shake hers. "Have we met?"

Sam's smile faltered, but bounced back as her eyes narrowed at his wide grin.

"Ha ha…your sense of humor obviously hasn't matured any with the restoration of your body," she said dryly.

Caleb shrugged and tugged her hand, drawing her closer to him and kissing her cheek. "Thank you," he said.

Sam smiled and straightened, tucking her hand in Pogue's. Caleb took notice and arched a questioning brow. Sam shrugged.

"I don't know if I should be jealous or not," Caleb said with a wink. "You did try to kiss me, after all."

All eyes were suddenly on Sam, and she felt her cheeks color. She met Pogue's surprised expression boldly and shrugged again. "Heat of the moment," she said sweetly.

Pogue leaned close and his lips curved. He dipped his head so his lips brushed her ear oh-so-lightly. "We're out of Get Out Of Jail Free cards," he whispered, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine.

"I won't need any more," Sam whispered back.

"They're going to do that a lot, obviously," Reid said from the other side of Caleb's bed. "I thought I was going to have to hose them down on the drive over here."

Tyler sighed and stretched, propping his hands behind his head and pushing himself back and forth in his wheelchair with his feet.

"I wonder if our lives are going to get more complicated when we all Ascend," he said thoughtfully.

"I don't see how they could," Pogue said with a shake of his head. "I mean this deal has been pretty damn complicated."

There was a knock on the door and a petite nurse came in. "Visiting hours are over," she said. "Both Mr. Danvers and Mr. Simms need their rest," she said, ushering the group of teenagers out.

"Yeah, because God knows you don't get enough rest in a coma," Reid argued.

"We'll stop by later," Pogue told Caleb and Tyler as he grabbed the back of Reid's hoodie and pulled him away from the door.

As Caleb watched the second hand of the clock tick by, he wondered about the point Tyler had brought up. How complicated would their lives be because of their Powers? Kate had said that Chase had taught her to use hers.

Unease settled in Caleb's chest. He had a feeling that this wasn't the last attempt Chase would make to acquire his and his friends' powers.

-

-

-

**Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with me. Much love to you all!**

**I've got an epilogue worked up if you think y'all would be interested in a sequel. I was just going to see how the idea was recieved before I submitted it.**


	8. Midnight Meeting, Dark Agenda

**EPILOGUE -  
Midnight Meeting, Dark Agenda**

_Somewhere, danger was brewing for the Sons of Ipswich..._

Kate flipped the visor mirror down and ran a hand through her hair, turning her face in the harsh orange light of the overhead street light and frowning at the large bruise that covered her cheek.

With an aggravated curse, she got out of her car and beeped the alarm remote. She stalked down the cracked sidewalk to Room 5 and tapped lightly on the door. She waited, crossing her arms and idly examining her chipped fingernail.

Without warning, the door opened and she was jerked inside, wincing as her head connected with the wood as she was slammed back against it.

Her mouth was bruised and battered in an unrelentingly savage kiss. She whimpered as her assailant nipped her bottom lip with his teeth.

"Oh, God..." Kate whispered, panting. "Chase..."

Chase's evil chuckle reverberated on her neck, sending goosebumps skittering along her skin. He straightened, tilting his head to the side and sighing as he looked at her.

"I missed you," Kate said, arching a brow.

Chase scoffed and backed away from the door, stretching out on the nearby bed. "Bullshit," he said. He stacked his hands behind his head and raised his eyebrows.

"So? What were the bitches of Ipswich up to?"

"They found out about me," Kate said, sitting on the end of the bed. "I don't know how, but they did. They've got this girl...I don't know what her schtick is, but she could see Caleb when he was in a coma, and she could see me when I was dead-ish. Oh, that's another thing. She's got magic. I don't know where it came from, but it's different than yours."

She looked down and tucked her hair behind her ear, nervous about continuing. "She...she stripped my powers. I didn't know that was possible, but she drew it out and put it in a box."

Chase sat up, suddenly very interested. "This box. What did it look like?"

Kate shrugged. "It was little. It wasn't silver or gold or anything, more like ivory or some sort of stone. It had carvings and scratches on it. Why? What is it?"

"They're used for dissolving magic," Chase said, his eyes distant and unfocused. He smiled to himself. "If you have the right glyphs on the box, you can use it to trap magic until you can absorb it yourself."

Kate cleared her throat and put on her most seductive expression. She tucked her lower lip between her teeth as she crawled slowly up the bed, straddling Chase's lap.

"Chase? I was wondering..." Kate said in a playfully pouty tone. "Do you think you can spell me again? Just enough to give me–"

"I've already told you no," Chase said, shoving her off him. "Look at me," he said. "I'm 18 years old and I look like I'm 27. I need...something. Something that will keep me from aging," he said, his voice taking on a dreamlike quality.

"That girl doesn't age," Kate said, plopping back on the bed with a frown. "She had power and used it–a lot–and didn't age. She said it was because her body isn't the source of her power."

Chase turned to her and smiled. It was a frigid smile, but Kate returned it.

"What?" she asked.

"You're a genius," Chase said, cupping her face between his hands.

"Why, thank you," Kate said. "So does this mean you're going to give me a break and give me some power?"

A dangerous glint came in Chase's eyes. "Yeah, baby. I'll give you a break."

His eyes blackened and he gave a vicious twist of his hands, grunting at the sound of Kate's neck cracking. He let her body fall haphazardly to the mattress and stood. He bent over her body, paying no attention to her wide-open eyes, and rifled through her pockets in search of her keys.

When he had them, he gathered his things and looked over his shoulder at Kate's corpse. He jangled the keys.

"Thanks, babe. You've been a big help."

He drove off, leaving long black tire marks on the highway. He would go to his old house and gather some things.

He would plan.

He would pack.

Then, by God...he would pounce.

-

-

-

**I know, I know...the 'give me a break' thing was TOTALLY cheesy, but it was just too much fun to be had. I couldn't help it.  
Kate just had to go, man. Maybe if I'd finished on a non-sucky day I would have shown her mercy, but not today.  
-wicked grin-  
**

**I'll start working on the sequel ASAP. Hopefully it won't bomb. lol**

**THANKS AGAIN, YOU GUYS, FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!! **


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